Wildlife crime

Partnership Against Wildlife Crime Scotland (PAWS)

Wildlife crime can involve anything from poisoning a golden eagle to smashing open freshwater pearl mussels. Rare species are put at risk, more familiar ones, like the badger or deer, suffer cruel torture and death.

In fact, wildlife crime threatens a far greater range of creatures and plants than you might imagine, even damaging the environment on which they depend. In short, it's the illegal destruction and theft of animals, plants and habitats, both in the countryside and urban areas.

It damages Scotland's environment and its reputation and we have a duty to the rest of the world to look after our internationally important species and habitats.

The Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime in Scotland - PAW Scotland - includes the police, land managers, conservationists and the Scottish Government. We have come together to fight this crime against Scotland.

You can help

We want to give you as much information and advice as we can, to help you, to help us.